Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels are known for their swagger, speed, and offensive innovation. However, as the 2025 season nears, a gnawing concern simmers beneath the surface in Oxford. While four-star in-state OL Dalton Toothman remains high on the Rebels as his recruitment ends, and Kiffin’s bold claim of Neyland Stadium being the SEC’s “most majestic” turned heads, questions are mounting behind the memes and media moments. This isn’t just an Ole Miss issue; three other marquee SEC contenders also have post-spring cracks beginning to show, and insiders aren’t holding back.

For Ole Miss, the warning lights are flashing at the line of scrimmage. Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports dropped the hammer on That SEC Football Podcast this week, voicing what many in the scouting world are thinking but few have said aloud. “I am wondering about the line of scrimmage rebuild for Ole Miss,” Lassan said. “Obviously, there is a ton of hype for Austin Simmons, and rightfully so. I think Simmons plus the receivers for Ole Miss are going to be very good this year, but I think we saw this last year. One of the reasons that Ole Miss got to the doorstep of the playoff was how good they were on the defensive front.” That defense led the SEC in sacks and rush defense in 2024, but now it’s been gutted.

Walter Nolen, JJ Pegues, Jared Ivey, Princely Umanmielen are all gone. Offensively? Not much better. “Offensive line loses four starters. They also averaged under four yards a carry in SEC games. So, I think in order to set up Austin Simmons for success, that offensive line’s got to settle,” Lassan said.

For all the explosive potential of Simmons and his skill weapons, trench play will dictate whether the Rebels are contenders—or just a highlight reel. But it’s not just Oxford where red flags are popping. In Austin, the long-term fate of Arch Manning was dragged into the spotlight when Texas added seasoned quarterback Matthew Caldwell from Troy.

Some fans raised eyebrows about what the addition meant for the Manning heir apparent, but Lassan quickly brushed off panic. “I don’t think he should be worried,” Lassan said. “I think the biggest reason that Texas picked him up is depth at quarterback. Caldwell’s played at Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville State, Troy. He’s been a pretty solid player. You’ve got some young depth behind Arch Manning. Something happens—and we saw this last year, viewers got hurt, Arch Manning played. It’s not a bad thing to have depth at quarterback.” It’s a practical move in a volatile sport, not a quarterback controversy—yet.

Over in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is bracing for one of the most unpredictable QB1 battles it’s had in years. Gone is the stabilizing presence of Jalen Milroe, and in his place is a three-headed question mark. “I feel like the biggest one is the quarterbacks,” Lassan said. “Who steps up as the starter? And I think you feel pretty good about the candidates, whether that’s Austin Mack or Keelon Russell, Ty Simpson in pole position going into the fall.”

But even with raw talent in the room, Lassan’s concern is focused: “I think the question for me is they’re talented, but what is the upside with this group? And you get Florida State in the season opener, you play Georgia pretty early in the season. So this group is going to have to be able to execute the passing game more consistently than they did last year.” There’s little time for trial and error. The Crimson Tide will need their signal-caller to grow up fast—or risk an early stumble.

And in Athens, it’s the most un-Georgia-like position that has insiders talking. Despite back-to-back national title runs fueled by dominance in the trenches, the Bulldogs enter this season with a shaky offensive front. “Let’s talk about the offensive line,” Lassan said. “Four new starters here. And let me give you a little bit of a peek behind the curtain—one of the questions raised by opposing coaches was the offensive line. A lot of coaches are wondering how fast and how good this group is going to be this year.”

Add in a first-time starting quarterback and a run game that ranked 15th in the SEC last year, and suddenly Georgia’s invincibility feels dented. “They’ve got to have better protection. They’ve got to be able to run the ball,” Lassan emphasized. As we inch closer to the fall, it’s clear the drama isn’t limited to QB battles or spring buzz in the SEC.

Questions still linger for Lane Kiffin’s Rebels

There’s plenty of excitement swirling around Ole Miss—but also a fair share of questions. During a recent conversation, Steven put the spotlight squarely on the big boys up front. “Defensive side of the ball with all the turnover in the secondary, they’ve got great linebackers with Dottery and Perkins, but you’ve got to wonder how the that line of scrimmage rebuild is going to go. So, for me, it’s offensive and defensive lines.” In other words, if the Rebels can’t hold their own in the trenches, things could get shaky in a hurry.

Meanwhile, Mike took a different angle, but one that pairs nicely. “Well, interesting, Stephen, because mine is a little different, but kind of go hand in hand. And for me, it’s who’s going to run the football…” Sure, there’s a ton of hype around QB1 Simmons. “He’s going to win three Heisman Trophies”—but Mike’s wondering who’s going to be toting the rock.

“Lane Kiffin, he’s a quarterback whisperer, right? But they run the football… That’s their bread and butter.” Maybe help is on the way. The Rebels just landed Kemper County High School 2026 four-star RB Damarius Yates, who clocked a sizzling 10.90 100-meter dash. Speed? Check. Now it’s all about fit.